Perbury Gear, Hovercraft, Diesels, Linear Motor
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OVERALL efficiencies as high as 92 per cent have been recorded with the Perbury variable speed transmission, handling 200 b.h.p.-twice the power for which the unit was designed. This is stated in last week's annual report of the National Research Development Council, which says that a better understanding has been gained of the mechanism of power transmission, and data are now available for the design of variable speed gears for practical applications. Discussions have opened with companies at home and abroad who are interested in manufacture under licence.
Ways of persuading operators to put Hovercraft into public service are being discussed between the N.R.D.C. and builders and possible operators, and it has been decided in principle to put up Government money to help in this.
Meanwhile the N.R.D.C. is staking some f1-2 m. of public money in assisting 10 other projects, one of them being a Ruston and Hornsby Ltd. diesel engine, a new range of which is to be built, incorporating results of several years' study.
Progress on fuel cells has been consolidated under a new N.R.D.C. subsidiary, Energy Conversion Ltd., which also represents the interests of B.P., the G.K.N. Group and British Ropes; it is pursuing development, mainly on a high-temperature fuel cell, in its own laboratories and workshops.
Work is also going ahead to determine whether Dr. E. R. Laithwaite's new plat for a synghronous linear oscillatir motor can be fully realized; if a line: motor can be directly coupled to an a compressor, one major advantage woul bt the elimination of side thrust in tt cylinder, increasing the life of carbo piston rings which are used where an oi free supply is essential. If a practic: machine can be designed, a licence agre■ ment will be made between N.R.D.C. an a compressor manufacturer who is present sharing the research cost.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Seddon Profit Up: The group profit Seddon Diesel Vehicles Ltd. after all charge but before taxation, was £94,864 in the yel ended June 30, 1963-an increase over tt previous year of £46,272. Profit after ta was £43,527, as against £21,309 previous!' At the A.G.M. on December 18, Mr. Seddon, the chairman, reported an increan. in production and turnover, notably durin the second half of the year, and said th order position had improved in both honi and export markets. Some 30 per cent c total production was exported in 1962-6: The first six months' operations of Pennin Coachcraft Ltd. had, he said, shown satisfactory profit.
South African Merger: Arrangements him been made for the transfer to Atkinsor Oates Motors Ltd. of Reg Lucas and Fran Payne Ltd. and Transport Vehicles (Atkir son) South Africa Ltd., the two Sout African subsidiaries of Atkinson Lorrit (Holdings) Ltd. Mr. W. C. Allen and Mi B. Francis Caunt, the chairman and directc respectively of Atkinson Lorries (Holding Ltd., will leave for South Africa early nex month.